Practical Support from Fathers and Grandmothers Is Associated with Lower Levels of Breastfeeding in the UK Millennium Cohort Study

Abstract

Mothers face trade-offs between infant care and subsistence/economic activities. In traditional populations, allomothers such as fathers and grandmothers support mothers with young infants, allowing them to reduce labour activities and focus on breastfeeding. Similarly, the positive impact of social support on breastfeeding has been highlighted in developed populations. However, these studies have generally focused on emotional support from fathers, peers and healthcare professionals. Given the availability of formula milk in developed populations, an evolutionary anthropological perspective highlights that practical support, unlike emotional support, may have negative associations with breastfeeding by enabling substitution of maternal care. Other kin, mainly grandmothers, may also be important allomothers influencing maternal breastfeeding levels. Here we explore the associations between different types of social support mothers receive from fathers/grandmothers and breastfeeding in the UK Millennium Cohort Study. We find frequent grandmother contact and father’s parenting involvement are both associated with lower levels of breastfeeding, suggesting a negative relationship between practical support and breastfeeding. In contrast, father presence, potentially capturing emotional support, is associated with greater breastfeeding initiation. Our findings suggest that practical support and emotional support functions differently, and practical support may not encourage breastfeeding in developed populations.

Alloparenting is associated with reduced maternal lactation effort and faster weaning in wild chimpanzees

“…Alloparenting can also differentially affect the fitness of mothers among and within populations of the same species because the rates and types of interactions are not always consistent across individuals (e.g. meerkats, S. suricatta  [26]; sperm whales, Physeter macrocephalus  [4]; black-and-white ruffed lemurs, Varecia variegata  [27]; humans, H. sapiens  [28]). In some cases, alloparenting may seemingly have no direct fitness benefits to mothers (e.g.…”

The Maternal Ecology of Breastfeeding: A Life Course Developmental Perspective

“…A systematic review showing the positive impact of grandmother attitudinal support for breastfeeding on breastfeeding outcomes supports this claim [Negin, Coffman, Vizintin, & Raynes-Greenow, 2016]. However, new research in Britain suggests that there are multiple pathways by which support may influence breastfeeding -emotional support may increase its likelihood, while practical support like child care may reduce the likelihood of breastfeeding [Emmott & Mace, 2015]. Ethnographic studies with African American mothers in the southern USA have shown that negative grandmother attitudes toward breastfeeding and increased physical proximity to mother-baby dyads are a barrier to exclusive breastfeeding [Bentley, Gavin, Black, & Teti, 1999].…”

Family-based obesity prevention for infants: Design of the “Mothers & Others” randomized trial

“…Modifiable factors include psychosocial constructs from health behavior theories (attitude, intention, and self-efficacy), 22–25 parental feeding styles (responsive feeding), 26–33 and interpretation of infant fussiness. 34–39 Specific to breastfeeding, substantial evidence shows that more positive attitudes, greater levels of social support, and greater breastfeeding self-efficacy are each associated with higher rates of breastfeeding initiation and/or longer durations of exclusive or partial breastfeeding.…”

“…34–39 Specific to breastfeeding, substantial evidence shows that more positive attitudes, greater levels of social support, and greater breastfeeding self-efficacy are each associated with higher rates of breastfeeding initiation and/or longer durations of exclusive or partial breastfeeding. 22–25 …”